This invention relates to hub clutches for the front wheels of a four-wheel drive vehicle.
To operate a typical manual hub clutch, the vehicle operator must manually turn the hubs at each front wheel to an engaged or disengaged position. However, to do this, the vehicle operator must leave the cab of the vehicle. A remotely controlled hub clutch mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Application Ser. No. 56,483 filed July 11, 1979, however, to prevent damage to the clutch teeth of this hub clutch mechanism the mechanism may be engaged only when the vehicle is stopped to assure synchronization of the clutch teeth. Automatic free wheeling hub clutches are engaged or disengaged by over-running clutch arrangements which operate automatically in response to the relative rotation of portions of these clutch assemblies when the vehicle is in motion. Such automatic free wheeling hubs are not entirely reliable because they may inadvertenly cut in or out of engagement at undesirable times under certain driving conditions such as loss of traction due to road conditions or when a wheel loses contact with the road surface. Such automatic hub clutches also tend to become noisy during operation as a result of wear. Accordingly, a remotely controlled manual hub clutch mechanism which may be operated while the vehicle is in motion is desired.